Apparatus and method for controlling a traction of a vehicle

Abstract

An apparatus for controlling a traction of a vehicle, in which the vehicle includes a parking brake system with a spring-loaded brake cylinder operable to release the parking brake against a spring force using pressurized air and the parking brake system is configured to brake one or more driven wheels of the vehicle. The apparatus includes a data interface module and a braking control module. The data interface module is configured to receive input information depending on a wheel slip of the one or more wheels of the vehicle. The braking control module is configured to determine the wheel slip based on the received information and to control the parking brake system to keep the wheel slip below a threshold value, thereby controlling the traction of the vehicle.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus for controlling a traction of a vehicle, comprising:
 a data interface module to receive input information depending on a wheel slip of one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a parking brake system with a spring-loaded brake cylinder operable to release the parking brake against a spring force using pressurized air, the parking brake system being configured to brake one or more driven wheels of the vehicle; and   a braking control module to determine the wheel slip based on the received information and to control the parking brake system to keep the wheel slip below a threshold value, so as to control the traction of the vehicle.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the braking control module is configured to operate without an input of the driver of the vehicle and/or to override a parking brake demand of the driver. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the braking control module is configured to control the parking brake system to brake the one or more driven wheels differently from one of the other wheels of the vehicle. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the braking control module is further configured to keep the wheel slip within a predefined slip range. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the data interface module is configured to retrieve a value indicating a current wheel slip from a control unit of the vehicle. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle includes a dynamic sensor operable to sense a yaw moment of the vehicle, wherein the data interface module is further configured to receive as input information sensor data from the dynamic sensor, and wherein the braking control module is configured to modify the threshold value for the wheel slip based on the yaw moment. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle includes a wheel speed sensor and a vehicle speed sensor, wherein the data interface module is configured to receive as input information further data indicating the wheel speed and the vehicle speed, and wherein the braking control module is configured to determine the wheel slip as a ratio of the wheel speed and the vehicle speed variable. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the vehicle further includes at least one of the following additional sensors: an engine speed sensor, a transmission axle sensor, an odometer, and a rotational speed sensor, wherein the at least one additional sensor couples permanently or temporarily with one or more driven wheels, wherein the data interface module is further configured to receive as input information additional sensor data from the at least one additional sensor, and wherein the braking control module is configured to determine the wheel speed based on the received additional sensor data. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the vehicle includes at least one of the following supplemental sensors: a GPS sensor, and an environment objection detection sensor, wherein the data interface module is further configured to receive as input information supplemental sensor data from the at least one supplemental sensors, and wherein the braking control module is configured to determine the vehicle speed based on supplemental sensor data. 
     
     
         24 . A vehicle, comprising:
 a parking brake system with a spring-loaded brake cylinder operable to release the parking brake against a spring force using pressurized air, the parking brake system being configured to brake one or more driven wheels of the vehicle; and   an apparatus for controlling a traction, including:
 a data interface module to receive input information depending on a wheel slip of one or more wheels of the vehicle; and 
 a braking control module to determine the wheel slip based on the received information and to control the parking brake system to keep the wheel slip below a threshold value, so as to control the traction of the vehicle. 
   
     
     
         25 . The vehicle of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 at least one dynamic sensor or camera configured to determine at least one of the following: a wheel speed, a yaw rate, a steering angle, engine speed, vehicle speed, and an object in an environment of the vehicle.   
     
     
         26 . The vehicle of  claim 24 , wherein the parking brake system is configured to control air pressure wheel-dependent. 
     
     
         27 . A method for controlling a traction of a vehicle, the method comprising:
 receiving input information depending on a wheel slip of the one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a parking brake system with a spring-loaded brake cylinder operable to release the parking brake against a spring force using pressurized air, the parking brake system being configured to brake one or more driven wheels of the vehicle;   determining the wheel slip based on the received information; and   controlling the parking brake system to keep the wheel slip below a threshold value, thereby controlling the traction of the vehicle.   
     
     
         28 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having a computer program, which is executable by a processor, comprising:
 a program code arrangement having a program code for controlling a traction of a vehicle, by performing the following:
 receiving input information depending on a wheel slip of the one or more wheels of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a parking brake system with a spring-loaded brake cylinder operable to release the parking brake against a spring force using pressurized air, the parking brake system being configured to brake one or more driven wheels of the vehicle; 
 determining the wheel slip based on the received information; and 
 controlling the parking brake system to keep the wheel slip below a threshold value, thereby controlling the traction of the vehicle.